Giving Back

As your lighting supplier we strive everyday to raise our profile in the community and in the industry as a responsible lighting company. We serve, whether it's philanthropy, emergency relief, personal service or pro bono professional work.
We lead by example and encourage our associates, industry partners and friends to join us.

WAC Lighting Foundation Invitational Science Fair

Who They Are

The Research Association oversees the annual Invitational Science Fair and features a consortium of 13 high schools represented by research teachers dedicated to the importance of science. The fair offers over 400 Long Island, NY students the opportunity to present their research experience to esteemed judges from leading institutions and businesses. Topics of research include Environmental Science, Prototype Engineering; Biochemistry; General Biology; Behavioral Science; Chemistry; Physical Science; and Computer Science. Participating students have gone on to pursue advanced studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stony Brook University, Harvard, Yale, Brown, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, the University of Rochester and other leading universities. Judges include over 120 academicians and professionals who are affiliated with vital institutions: Brookhaven National Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Columbia University, Long Island University, New York University, North Shore University Hospital-LIJ Medical Center, Wiell Cornell Medical College, Hofstra University and Mount Sinai Medical Center.

What We Do

WAC Lighting has sponsored the Invitational Science Fair since 2013 and will continue to sponsor the event for a minimum of two more years. In addition to supporting the event, WAC provides scholarships and prizes to students that win in each of its categories.

What You Can Do

You can support the Research Association and students by visiting their website www.researchassociation.org for more information and visit the fair next year to see the fine works of tomorrow's young scientists. Anyone interested in volunteering to be a judge or who would be interested in sponsoring a student to conduct research in a research facility please contact the Fair's president Richard Kurtz (rkurtz3@gmail.com).

Marcum Workplace Challenge

Who They Are

The Marcum Workplace Challenge is Long Island’s largest corporate run-walk for charity, as well as the region’s largest office picnic. The event has raised more than $500,000 for Long Island charities since 2006. The Challenge is managed by the Greater Long Island Running Club and is held in July at Jones Beach State Park. The event is an annual summer highlight for the Long Island business community. Companies, organizations and government agencies from across Long Island come together to field teams for the cause, pitching a virtual sea of hospitality tents to celebrate the occasion and enjoy the camaraderie of their colleagues.

What We Do

WAC is one of more than 200 companies that join the event and offer more than 50 employees who join the nearly 10,000 participants. Last year over $100,000 was raised for its charity beneficiaries, which include: the Long Island Children’s Museum; Long Island Cares: The Harry Chapin Food Bank; and the Children’s Medical Fund of New York. Its cumulative fundraising proceeds total nearly $500,000 to date. (Rebecca, I have asked Jonathan to provide numbers for this year.)

What You Can Do

A great way to involve non-participating members of your company in efforts to raise funds for our four great charities is to donate. Visit the website www.marcumworkplacechallenge.com to learn how you can donate or participate in the next event.

Island Park Hurricane Relief

Who They Are

On October 29th the beloved town of Island Park, NY saw water levels rise to heights that have never been seen in its entire history. Every single home sustained water damage and many lost everything. These are our families and friends. Right now the situation is not getting better and in some cases it’s getting worse. Power has just been restored after two and a half weeks and cell phone service remains spotty. Many homes still have no gas and the tap water should not be used for drinking or bathing. These conditions make countless dwellings in Island Park unlivable. Many families have nowhere to go because all their relatives live in Island Park and also lost their homes. The Island Park Hurricane Relief page is a way to help provide relief for these families. Each family that qualifies can receive $1K to help pay for temporary housing to the extent of funds raised. In order to qualify, they must be a family currently residing in Island Park at the time of the disaster (Hurricane Sandy), have children 18 and under residing with them and now need temporary housing because their Island Park home has been declared unlivable. The Young Families of Island Park Hurricane Relief is applying to become a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Once registered, contributions to this fund will be tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

What We Do

Each family that qualifies can receive $1K to help pay for temporary housing to the extent of funds raised. In order to qualify, they must be a family currently residing in Island Park at the time of the disaster (Hurricane Sandy), have children 18 and under residing with them and now need temporary housing because their Island Park home has been declared unliveable.

WAC Lighting is currently running a donation drive, where the company will match employees’ contributions. As of November 19th the company has been able to raise over $3,000.00 which will help to support three displaced families find comfort.

What You Can Do

There are many ways you can help the residents of Island Park. Share their story with your friends and family; bring some recognition to a small town which feels otherwise ignored. Lend a hand; help out the residents directly by volunteering your time to help clear out homes or sort through donations. Donate monetarily; anything you can give will go directly to a displaced family in need.

Long Beach Relief

Donate to Long Beach Relief:

Long Beach is a beautiful seaside community located on the south shore of Long Island in the great state of New York. Hurricane Sandy has brought previously unimaginable devastation to the famous “City by the Sea,” destroying homes and businesses as well as the most identifiable Long Beach icon, its BOARDWALK. Long Beach’s renowned 2.2-mile oceanfront boardwalk and its 3.5-mile pristine beach, which draws tens of thousands of visitors here year round are now virtually impassable and need to be rebuilt.

The powerful and unprecedented wrath of Sandy caused considerable damage across the city’s critical infrastructure which includes parks, beaches, bay front, city buildings, emergency vehicles, and equipment. Our facilities that house our childcare and senior programs for our residents were severely damaged by the floods brought by Sandy bringing all programs to a halt until proper repairs can be made. In addition, several parks and playgrounds throughout the City that are now covered in sand from the Atlantic Ocean will need to be completely rehabilitated.

"We will rebuild a stronger, safer and smarter Long Beach. Our unique sense of community pride and spirit is incredibly strong, and we know with your help we will be better than ever."

All donations made to the Long Beach Relief effort will go towards repairing and rebuilding the great “City by the Sea.

American Red Cross

Who They Are

The American Red Cross responds immediately to more than 70,000 disasters annually, focusing on meeting people's immediate emergency disaster-caused needs with shelter, food, and health and mental health services. The core of Red Cross disaster relief is the assistance given to individuals and families affected by disaster to enable them to resume their normal daily activities independently.

Although the American Red Cross is not a government agency, its authority to provide disaster relief was formalized when, in 1905, the Red Cross was chartered by Congress to "carry on a system of national and international relief in time of peace and apply the same in mitigating the sufferings caused by pestilence, famine, fire, floods, and other great national calamities, and to devise and carry on measures for preventing the same."

What We Do

WAC Lighting works very hard as an active donor and a volunteer to help support The American Red Cross, including providing relief for families impacted by 9-11, the Tsunami, the China and Taiwan earthquakes and Hurricane Katrina. WAC Lighting is proud to have raised $270,000 in only a two week time frame for the victims of the China earthquake.

What You Can Do

The American Red Cross helps people in need, free of charge, every single day! Your contribution helps families through some of the most difficult times of their lives. The Red Cross relies on the generosity of those who donate their time and money. You can help with generous donations of money, time and supplies.

Alliance for Smiles

Who They Are

Alliance for Smiles, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is to repair children's broken smiles, establish cleft treatment centers, and foster ancillary humanitarian projects in underserved areas of the world through international collaboration among medical and non-medical volunteers and corporate and individual sponsors.

What We Do

WAC is an active donor to this wonderful organization. Our co-principal and co-founder, Tai Wang dedicates much time as a volunteer for Alliance for Smiles. She has served as an adept liaison, administrator, fund developer and translator on several medical missions to China. Tai has been a great ambassador to local families and medical teams in China and has helped build bridges of friendship among people to create international understanding and goodwill.

What You Can Do

You can help a child to have the smile that every child deserves. You can help by contributing financially, donating supplies or volunteering.

Gift Of Life

Who They Are

Gift of Life International, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is to save as many children’s lives as possible by providing lifesaving open heart surgery to children from infancy to 18 years of age with congenital heart defects.

What We Do

WAC Lighting is an active donor to this organization. Our co-principal and co-founder Tai Wang has been very supportive of Gift of Life. She has focused on bringing indigent Chinese children, who are born with heart defects, to the U.S. and helping them through these serious health crises. Tai was directly involved in transporting the children from their homes to their hospital beds, and providing around-the-clock, hands-on support during their hospital stay, until their safe return home.

What You Can Do

Your donation to Gift of Life will defray the cost of medical expenses surrounding the surgery. While our medical professionals donate their time and skills and the hospitals and medical centers greatly reduce their costs, money is still needed for medical supplies, recovery, and travel.

New York Asian Women's Center

Who They Are

The New York Asian Women's Center (NYAWC) is a non-profit organization that helps hundreds of women overcome violence and govern their own lives, free of abuse. Through progressive programs including a 24-hour multilingual hotline, counseling, advocacy, education, emergency shelters, children's programs, and community outreach, the Center changes the lives of women and children who are victims of violence or human trafficking. By raising public awareness about difficult subjects as domestic violence and human trafficking to a heightened level, the Center can create an agenda for social change.

What We Do

WAC Lighting actively participates in this organization through donations, volunteerism, and contribution of products to shelter quality of life projects. Whether a client needs shoes, or the Center needs volunteers, or the shelters need lighting, the folks at WAC Lighting have always responded. President, Shelley Wang, has been an active volunteer with the organization serving their clients through support groups, emergency hotline support, shelter improvement, community outreach, and committee work.

What You Can Do

Not forgetting its grassroots beginnings 26 years ago, the NYAWC offers a number of ways you can help. Volunteers are always needed for community outreach and support activities. Or you might consider opening your home as a Domestic Violence Safe Home, a shelter alternative for women and children, when beds are full. Given the grave need for security, volunteers undergo intensive training on sensitivity, confidentiality, and handling emergency situations. Apart from a donation of time, your monetary donation to the Center will go towards activities that make sure we reach all those in need. Please visit the website below to find out more.

WAC hosted a “Pink Dress Down Day” starting on Friday, October 7th 2011, and for every Friday in the month of October, where all employees wore something Pink to show their support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In addition, the WAC team wore Pink ‘Breast Cancer Awareness’ bracelets that will help donate funds to the American Cancer Society.

“We are proud that our employees have taken the initiative to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” explained Shelley Wald, President of WAC Lighting, at the start of the event. “As a ‘Responsible Lighting’ company, WAC is committed to offering hope and inspiration to those who have been affected by breast cancer.”

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Susan G. Komen fought breast cancer with her heart, body and soul. Throughout her diagnosis and treatments, she spent her time thinking of ways to make life better for other women battling breast cancer. Moved by Susan’s compassion, Nancy G. Brinker promised her sister that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever.

That promise is now Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the global leader of the breast cancer movement, having invested more than $1.9 billion since inception in 1982. As the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, this organization is working together to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® and the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure®, and generous contributions from its partners, sponsors and fellow supporters, the organization has become the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.

What we do

WAC is participating in the Companies Care for St. Jude Kits ® program, which will make a vital difference in the lives of children and help provide funds to pay for their chemotherapy, radiation and surgeries. These dollars give children a second chance at life and ensure that no child is ever turned away because of a family's inability to pay. Eighty-five cents of every dollar received by ALSAC/St. Jude goes to research and treatment.

What You Can Do

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is the only pediatric cancer center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family’s inability to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. For more information, please visit www.stjude.org.

Reinforcing its "Responsible Lighting" commitment, WAC Lighting supported the "Go Red For Women" event on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 from 5-7pm, at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery in Chesterfield, Missouri. WAC Lighting donated a popular Monorail Kit to be raffled off during the event.

Giving back from our employees

June, 2015 - Asian-American Festival

Committed to supporting ethnic diversity in the community and in the workplace, WAC Lighting sponsors the annual Asian American Festival, a beach-front gala of delicious international cuisine, shopping, folk art and performances from China, Japan, India, Korea and Pakistan. The annual event is held at North Hempstead Beach Park, the Town of North Hempstead’s 60-acre beachfront playground on West Shore Road in Port Washington. The festival features performances and folk art such as Japanese Taiko drumming, traditional Chinese lion dancers, Indian henna tattooing and a Korean Hanbok fashion show. The festival also showcases a mélange of culinary delights indigenous to Asian cultures from across the globe. Visit www.northhempsteadny.gov for more information.

Apr 6, 2014 - Third Annual WAC Lighting Invitational Science Fair!

WAC Lighting promoted the education and careers of young scientists by continuing our sponsorship of the Third Annual WAC Lighting Invitational Science Fair last Sunday. Over 350 exceptional Long Island students presented their research experience to over 50 esteemed judges from leading institutions and businesses. This year we added two new categories including a Sustainability Award, and a Lighting Award. Their projects were absolutely amazing!

September 26, 2010 - WAC Lighting has continued our pledge to give back by sponsoring The Embrace Kids Foundation

WAC participated the 20th annual Heel to Heal event at Johnson Park in Piscataway, NJ and raised over $3,000 dollars.

Thousands nationwide are confronted each year with the terrible news that their child has cancer, sickle cell disease, or some other blood disorder. The Embrace Kids Foundation offers unique programs and services that deliver a comprehensive and compassionate method of delivering care to families when they need it most - when their child has a catastrophic illness.

With the 10th annual Goombay Bash Fundraiser less than two months away, several leading manufacturers-- including Bulbrite, Fanimation, Hinkley Lighting, Murray Feiss, Schonbek and WAC Lighting-- have teamed up to create a consortium to recruit support for The H Foundation, a non-profit LaGrange, Illinois-based organization dedicated to raising funds for Cancer Research. Together, the consortium has set a lighting industry goal to raise at lease $50,000 to support The H Foundation and cutting edge Cancer Research.

April 14, 2010 - WAC Lighting staff participated in the Annual Parkinson's Unity Walk and raised a total of $1400 towards the research of Parkinson's Disease

For the past 4 years, Annie Harwani (WAC Associate Account Executive) has participated in the Annual Parkinson's Unity Walk in efforts to raise money for awareness and research for the Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's Disease affects over 500,000 people in America, with 50,000 new cases every year. Currently, we only have a handful of experimental treatments which are not even approved in all countries.

All donations will go towards this research, in hopes of creating a better life for those affected, and their families.

November 12, 2009 - WAC Lighting is a Gold Team Sponsor of the South EL Monte Junior Gremlin Flag Football Team.

WAC Lighting is a Gold Team Sponsor of the South El Monte Junior Gremlin Flag Football Team. The team has 19 players, some with parents of single moms and single dads. In addition to the economy effecting many, it's been a difficult year for them to continue their dreams. Therefore, WAC Lighting is sponsoring the team and the donation is applied to assisting with registration ($125), personal gear (jackets, gear bags), a trophy banquet, and a raffle to be held at the banquet.

If you would like to place a donation, please make the check payable to

WAC's President, Shelley Wang, has earned a reputation for being a socially conscious and visionary leader. She launched the company's Responsible Lighting campaign, which highlights a commitment to responsible manufacturing practices ,and energy-saving technology. Ms Wang also co-organized ALA's Youth Initiative and is active with AIA, IESNA, NAED ad NEWH. Ms Wang also serves on the Board of Directors of the New York Asian Women's Center (NYAWC)

Three words that best describe her:

Intelligent, articulate, responsible

March 2, 2009 - New York Asian Women's Center- Happy House Shelters

On February 21, 2009, WAC Lighting contributed nearly 100 Lighting fixtures to Happy House, a New York City-based emergency shelter operated by the NYAWC.

WAC donated and arranged the installation of energy efficient ceiling fixtures and wall sconces from "Norfolk Series" to illuminate the shelters' rooms and hallways.

On November 26, 2008 - WAC Lighting NY employees donated about $750.00 and a full box of food for Island Harvest. ( islandharvest.org ) The local news said that it costs about $50.00 to make Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people. With that said, WAC's employees raised enough money to feed 150 people's Thanksgiving dinner.

If you would like to place a donation, please click on the link below:

December 1, 2008 - NYAWC appointed WAC general manager to be the Board of Director

WAC Lighting President, Shelley Wang, has been a supporter of NYAWC since 2002, when she began as an emergency hotline volunteer. Since then, she has participated in other volunteer projects, including fundraising, facilitating shelter support groups, and teaching English to survivors of domestic violence. Her commitment to help the Center carry out its mission and sustain its programs and services is stronger than ever.

Tony D'Alessio ( WAC Credit Manager ) participated in Relay For Life event for several years-May of 04,05,06 and 07. The event itself was staying overnight with their team and always having someone on the team walking around the track through to the next morning.